Supporting Teens: How Therapy Can Help and What Parents Can Do
- Your Story Counselling
- 29 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Abstract: Teen mental health matters. This blog explores the unique benefits of therapy for adolescents and provides practical tips for parents who want to support their teens through anxiety, emotional ups and downs, and life transitions. Learn how to start meaningful conversations and how to encourage your teen to try counselling—plus how Your Story Counselling can help.
Why Teen Mental Health Deserves Our Attention
Adolescence is a critical period for emotional development. With academic pressures, social changes, identity exploration, and the ongoing impacts of social media and global uncertainty, today’s teens are navigating a lot.
According to CAMH, about 1 in 5 young people in Ontario will experience a mental health challenge. The good news? Early support makes a difference—and therapy offers a safe and supportive space for teens to explore what they’re feeling, learn how to cope, and build emotional resilience for the long run.
The Benefits of Therapy for Teens
Therapy can be a powerful tool for helping teens:
Understand their emotions
Manage anxiety and low mood
Develop healthy coping strategies
Improve self-esteem and body image
Navigate friendship or peer issues
Cope with school or family stress
Learn emotional regulation
Whether your teen is struggling with something specific or just seems “off,” therapy can provide clarity, connection, and comfort.
How to Talk to Your Teen About Their Emotions
Opening the conversation can feel tricky—but it’s one of the most powerful things you can do as a parent.
Here are some practical tips:
✅ Pick the right moment.
Car rides, walks, or low-pressure activities are better than sit-down “talks.”
✅ Use open-ended questions.
“What’s been on your mind lately?”
“What’s been stressful or hard for you at school or with friends?”
“Is there anything you wish I understood better about what you’re going through?”
✅ Validate their feelings.
You don’t have to fix it. Start with: “That sounds really hard. I’m so glad you’re telling me.”
✅ Avoid judgment or minimizing.
Resist the urge to say things like “That’s not a big deal” or “When I was your age…”
✅ Model emotional honesty.
When you share your own feelings (in age-appropriate ways), you’re giving your teen permission to do the same.
Encouraging Your Teen to Try Therapy
If your teen is hesitant, that’s totally normal. Here are a few things that might help:
👂 Normalize therapy.
Let them know therapy isn’t just for people in crisis—it’s a space to talk, process, and grow.
🌱 Focus on autonomy.
Say: “It’s your space—you don’t have to share everything with me, and the therapist will keep things private.”
📲 Show them who they’d be talking to.
Let your teen read bios or see photos of our therapists here.
🕒 Start with a free consult.
Our 15-minute no-pressure consultation is a great way for your teen to get a feel for the process.
Meet Our Clinicians Who Work with Teens
At Your Story Counselling, we have a compassionate and experienced team of therapists who specialize in working with teens and young people:
Available at our Markham, Vaughan, and Virtual Locations
Alana Sham – Supporting teens with identity, anxiety, and school-related stress
Lauren Schneider – Focused on emotion regulation, family dynamics, and resilience building
Xenia Kwan – Passionate about supporting neurodivergent teens and those navigating cultural identity
Jonathan Lu - Utilizing Music Therapy to support neurodivergent teens on navigating and coping with sensory overwhelm and stressors
Erica Min - Utilize Art Therapy to help those struggling to put words to their thoughts through visual and interpretive methods.
Cherie Mak – Our newest team member, specializing in supporting teens who are coping with self-harm and emotional overwhelm
Their profile pictures and bios can be viewed on our team page.
We offer both in-person sessions at our Markham & Vaughan/Concord location and virtual options across Ontario. Choosing a local clinic like ours means more flexibility, familiar community insight, and a space where your teen can feel safe and supported.
Final Thoughts
Being a teen in today’s world is no small feat—and being a parent to one can feel overwhelming too. You don’t have to do this alone. At Your Story Counselling, our team is here to support both you and your teen through life’s messy middle.
📍Serving families across Markham, Unionville, and York Region📆 Book a free 15-minute consultation👥 Meet our youth therapists
Your Story Counselling Services is a multicultural, inclusive, BIPOC clinic that offers online services as well as in-person sessions in Vaughan and Markham.
Judy Lui and her team of clinicians and supervised therapist interns offer trauma-informed, clinical counselling in the form of art, play, and talk therapy. With an emphasis on social equity and justice,
Your Story offers counselling at a range of fee levels. Judy continues to see her clients, manages the clinic as Clinical Director, and mentors master ’s-level therapist interns.
Judy has been featured in the Toronto Star, where she discussed the impact of mental health struggles and the toll of COVID-19 on romantic relationships. She also co-authored a chapter in the first edition of An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy Centering the Lives of Indigenous, Racialized, and People of Color. She is a committee member with the Anti-Racism Advocacy Group at the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, where she helps organize community events and panels on racial trauma and advocacy.
Judy is also one of three 2024 RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Micro-Business Finalists and will represent the Central Canadian Region (Ontario & Montreal) for this honour.
Affordable Therapy York Region is committed to making quality mental health care more accessible across Markham, Vaughan, Concord, and the greater York Region. We offer both virtual and in-person sessions through a diverse team of supervised therapist interns and registered clinicians, with services starting as low as $20 per session.
Our clinic prioritizes culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and inclusive care, ensuring that therapy is respectful of your identity, background, and lived experience. Whether you're seeking support for anxiety, relationships, grief, or personal growth, we offer therapy that meets you where you are — emotionally and financially.
We also offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you find the right therapist fit before you commit.Learn more or get started today at www.affordabletherapyyorkregion.ca.
If you have additional questions regarding the contents of this article please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to answer you.
Should you have questions or inquiries regarding counselling and the process of counselling, please visit our FAQ page. contact us to ask questions, or learn more about our team of therapists before signing up for a free 15 minute consultation.
Terms and Conditions of Use:
The information provided in this article is intended to be general knowledge and does not constitute as professional advice or treatment. This information is not intended for the use of diagnosis or treatment. Please do not share or distribute this article without the proper referencing or written/verbal consent of Judy Lui. Additional information can be found at www.yourstorycounselling.com or requested via info@yourstorycounselling.com
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Wondering if therapy is right for your teen? Learn how adolescent therapy helps and how Ontario parents can support their child’s mental health.
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